Prior art of which this writer is aware includes the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,228 to Kriegel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,365 to Parr, U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,889 to Kammerer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,597 to Graff, U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,764 to Stanziola et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,395 to Long et al.
It has long been recognized that the motion of waves on the surface of a body of water such as the ocean offers a potential for the generation of power, and many structures have been proposed for accomplishing this purpose. In the typical prior art structure for converting wave motion to energy, one or more floats disposed on the water surface are coupled to a power generating unit by various linkages so that the rise and fall of the float due to wave motion mechanically drives the power generating unit. Such power generating units may include a pump for pumping water, an electric power generator, a hydraulic turbine or the like.
However, one of the main drawbacks in such present day structures has been their complexity particularly with respect to the linkages by means of which the float is coupled to the power generating unit. This obviously adds considerably to the cost of such apparatus both from the standpoint of initial investment as well as for maintenance since such present day structures are subject to excessive wear and frequent breakdowns.
The extensive use of offshore drilling platforms has created a heavy demand for self-contained power generating units as a result of the difficulty of providing adequate power facilities in such remote locations. Since such platforms are characteristically located in waters where wave motion is continuous, greater attention has been focused on the readily available, free and unlimited source of energy provided by such wave motion. However, proposed structures for utilizing such wave motion have not been practical enough to persuade prospective users to take advantage of such a meritorious source of energy.